Method of and means for sealing containers against leakage and tampering



Jan. 14, .1936. Q E, E; HAN 2,028,107

METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR SEALING CONTAINERS AGAINST LEAKAGE AND TAMPERINGFiled Aug. 25, i 1950 Patented Jan. 14, 1936 PATENT. OFFICE 2,028,107METHOD OF AND IWEANS FOR SEALING CONTAINERS TAMPERING AGAINST LEAKAGEAND Edgar E. Shanor, Sharon, Pa., assignor to The Petroleum Iron Works00. of Ohio, Sharon, Pa., a corporation of Ohio Application August 25,1930, Serial No. 477,722

2 Claims.

My invention relates to containers such as metallic barrels or drumsmainly intended for shipping petroleum and other volatile products andmore particularly to scaling provisions for the reception and dischargeopenings.

The effective sealing of volatile liquid containing packages is quite aproblem inasmuch as there is objection, because of the fire hazard, tothe use of soldering, welding, or other processes requiring theapplication of heat. Manifestly, then, resort must be had to sealingexpedients which do not involve the risk stated. The conventional screwfittings suffer the disadvantage that they have a tendency to work looseespecially in extremely hot countries, as for example, equatorialAfrica. Hence, breathing obtains with resultant losses of volatileliquid, and water is sucked into the package when the drum, followingcooling, is under partial vacuum. In order to correct this deficiency ofthe screw fitting it has heretofore been proposed to combine with it aninner seal, but aside fromother disadvantageous features it had to beapplied before the drum was filled, and, hence, was not practicableforasmuch as it was not available for filling and hence its usefulnesswas confined solely to discharge openings unless indeed it was cut awayfor filling which of course would irreparably destroy its scalingfunction.

The problem of the instant case is to retain the standard orconventional. screw plug and yet provide for absolute and non-tampersealing under changing conditions of temperature and pressure; and toprovide an effective double seal that is applicable to one and all ofthe openings of the drum.

The nature, characteristic features and scope of the invention will morereadily be understood from the following detailed description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing, forming a part hereof,wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a double seal or closureembodying features of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the filling throat or inner seal carryingelement before application.

Fig. 3 is a sectional detail showingthe relation of the parts in theapplication of the inner seal.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a typical inner sealing disk.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the disk.

Fig. 6 is a sectional detail of a modification of the inner seal.

In the drawing, 5 represents either the head sheet or wall of a shippingdrum or container having a plugged opening generally represented at 6.The element 1 is or may be of the type of the conventional plug havingscrew threaded engagement in a complemental ring 8, which, as usual, issecured by embossment against turning in the wall or head sheet 5. Asindicated, the parts referred to are, or may be, as usual, and the plugconstitutes the external closure of my improved double seal, there beinga gasket 9 between its flange and the embossed flange of the containerwall or head sheet.

In accordance with my inventive thought, I provide an innerseal-carrying filling throat or funnel consisting of a stepped tubularmember It formed to interlock with the plug seating ring 8 through themedium of an initially upstanding flange H, which in the die operationfor seating the ring 8 is caused to be depressed upon a packing ring orgasket 12 positioned upon the flange of the ring, thus providing forfluid-tightness regardless of temperature conditions. After the fillingoperation, the bottom opening l3 of the filling throat or funnel iseffectively sealed, for example, as in Fig. 1, in which a cupped memberI4 is forced into sealing relation with the shouldered portions l5 ofthe throat and an intervening packing ring or gasket l6, and in such waythat its head H is expanded beyond the diametric limits of the wall ofthe opening so that the closure l4 cannot be removed without showingevidence of tampering. The body of the disk may have a depressed annularrib or groove I 8 in orderto stiffen it against deflection. Fig. 6 showsa modification in which the bottom of the filling throat is formed withan inner flange l9 and just above it with an inwardly directed bead 20,the former operating to seat a disc closure 2|, which is sprung past thebead 20 and held by the latter against a gasket 22.

The sealing cup or filling throat so-called, when closed, constitutes atrapping area for water that may be sucked in past the plug underbreathing action of the receptacle, and the presence ofwater in thetrapping area further reduces the hazard of breathing losses.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. Means for stopping receptacle openings, comprising the combinationwith a standard assembly including a plug and its complemental bushing,of a filling throat having an upstanding flange adapted to be forcedinto packing retaining relation with the flange of the bushing in theact of securing the latter with relation to the receptacle, packingintermediate said flanges, and a closure for the bottom of said throat.

2. A receptacle for volatile liquid formed with a wall having anopening, a filling throat interlocking with the receptacle marginally ofthe opening and extending; within the receptacle, means comprising aplug and its complemental bushing for sealing the outer end of thethroat, and a seal for the inner end of the throat, said seals beingsubstantially spaced apart whereby the filling throat may function as areservoir for fluids which may pass either seal in response 5 tobreathing action.

EDGAR E. SHANOR.

